Warm up:  Nah… Ruck up and explain instructions for scavenger hunt

The thang:   Find the following items on the list and be back before COT.  Go!

• Eagle (or picture of an eagle) – The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States, and appears on most official seals of the U.S. government. Contrary to popular belief, Benjamin Franklin did not advocate the selection of the turkey as the national bird.
• Post Office – The United States Post Office was founded in 1792. In 1872, the Post Office Department was elevated to Cabinet status by Congress. The Post Office’s most recent iteration began in 1971, when the modern United States Postal Service came into being as an independent (non-Cabinet) agency of the Executive Branch.
• Church/Mosque/Synagogue/Temple/ or Other religious building – The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion.
• US Flag – The 50 stars in the top left corner of the flag represent the 50 states of the Union, while the 13 red and white stripes represent the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. The three colors of the flag (red, white, and blue) represent valor, purity/innocence, and vigilance/perseverance/justice, respectively. The current version of the flag has existed since 1960, when a star was added to commemorate Hawaii’s entrance into statehood the previous year.
• Bar/pub/brewery/winery/distillery – In 1920, the 18th Amendment prohibited the import, export, sale, manufacture, or transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. However, this was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933, meaning you can now enjoy your freedom to responsibly (or irresponsibly) drink alcoholic beverages in peace.
• Police Department – The police department is there to protect your rights and serve the community.
• Courthouse – The American judicial system is one of the bedrocks of our government. Thanks to the 4th-8th Amendments, you have numerous legal rights including the right to trial by jury, the right to a lawyer, the right to a timely and public trial, and the right to due process.
• War memorial – Always remember that freedom isn’t free. War memorials honor the men and women of our military who served to protect our country and its citizens.
• Protest, Protestor, or Protest Signage – The 1st Amendment guarantees the right of the people to assemble peaceably, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, as well as the freedom of speech.
• Polling place – Voting is democracy in action. While the franchise was originally limited largely to white men, the 15th Amendment extended it to men of all colors and the 19th Amendment to women as well as men. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, while the 24th Amendment prohibited a special tax for the privilege of voting.
• School – The very first American public school was founded in 1635, in the colony of Massachusetts. By the 1930s, the modern public school system had for the most part taken shape. However, some major steps forward were still to come, notably the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown vs. Board of Education, which ruled that racial segregation in public schools is illegal. 
• Newspaper – Another right guaranteed by the 1st Amendment is the right to the freedom of the press, which serves as an unofficial check and balance within our democracy.
• A House – Thanks to the oft-overlooked 3rd Amendment, the government cannot quarter soldiers in your house without your consent. Hey, it pays to know this stuff!
• An African-American monument or memorial – Slavery is a horrific part of our nation’s history. Thankfully, the 13th Amendment outlawed the inhumane institution of slavery, and more progress was made by the 14th Amendment (among other things, granting citizenship to former slaves), the 15th Amendment (allowing the right to vote regardless of race). The Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1900s resulted in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, which outlawed segregation. While progress has been made, like so many areas of our republic, there is still work to be done. 
• Fire department – The local fire department is a government entity that is purposed to provide technical rescue, fire protection, fire investigation, and emergency medical services.
• City hall, capitol, or other government building – Our government is a republic. Wikipedia actually has a pretty on-point definition of the term: “a form of government in which the country is considered a “public matter”, not the private concern or property of the rulers.” This means that government buildings such as city halls and capitols are a place important to and accessible by all citizens.
• Coffee Shop – Because taxation without representation is reason enough to throw a bunch of tea into the Boston harbor and yet we still need something dark and warm to drink.
• Street Repair – Gonna get all metaphorical on you here. The United States of America is pretty great. Kinda like the roads that get me where I need to go. But, she, like they, needs maintenance. And that’s where you and I come in. It is up to us, “We the people,” to see the “potholes, cracks, and areas that are wearing down” within our republic and step up and repair them, to make them better. By doing so, we can join together and do the work necessary to truly form “a more perfect union.”

The teams that returned early did some ruck on mary (squats, overhead ruck press, ruck tricep extensions).  The team of short circuit (lower case) and Hass won the scavenger hunt with some creativity and ingenuity (some might say chicanery), and a great time was had by all!

Announcements/Prayer requests:   Prayer for surgery for one of Hooch’s daughters, prayer for Chop’s son, prayers for our nation and leaders.